Drier for ceramic wares



ug. 3, 1929. H, R sTRAlGH-r 1,724,325

DRIER FOR CERAMIC WARE Filed Jan. 5, 1927 F6? 1 [7N/enfer,

Patented tug. 13, 1929.

ourrEn STATES PATENT4 OFFICE.

naleven n. sTnAie-HT, F anun, Town, Assmann To uriner n. sTRAIGHT, oF ADEL, Iowa.

DRIEB. CERAMIC W'ARES.

Application filed January 3, 192'?. Serial No. 159,689.

This invention relates to driers tor ceramic ware.

rlhe object ci my invention is to provide a drier ol: simple, durable and inexpensive construction, provided with means whereby ware may he advanced through the drier in a progressive manner from one end to the other, and at a comparatively uniform speed; and also to provide means tor advancinp; the drying .medium through said drier from one end to tle other under slight pressure, and in the opposite direction from the nflovement oil' the ware through said drier; and to provide in connection therewith means tor circulatii'ief the medium through the ware vertically in such a inanner that the drier may be divided into somewhat separate circulating Zones, one oil the Zones .being provided with means for circulating the medium through the ware in a given zone a greater number ci times than in an adjoining zone, and to provide means whereby the number o1 cycles ott circulation in each Zone may be varied at the will ot the operator, so that the velocity ot the drying medium maybe varied inversely` to the shrinkage rate of the ware .being dried, it being generally the rule that ceramic wares shrink more in proportion tothe loss ot moisture in the early part of the drying' than later when drying1 has vpartly talren place.

A further object is to so construct and arrange the mechanism for accomplishing the above results that the speed of the movement of the medium between two `adjacent zones is maintained at a comparatively low rate, so that sudden changes in the speed. ot

the drying between two zones will be eliminated. 1

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of thevarious parts of the device, whereby the objects con-` templated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set `forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through my improved drier. y i

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 1; c

My improved drier comprises upright wall members and end members 11 and 12, and

a top 13, preferably arranged. in the form of an arch. Spaced inwardly from each ot the wallmembers 10 is a partition 14, the lower edge of which is supported a slight distance above the vlloor line of the drier. A number oi: transversely arranged partitions are provided to form a series ot vertically arranged compartments or passages adjacent to the inner face o1 each of the wall members 10. The upper edges ot the partitions 14- and 15 are provided with an inclined top 1G provided with a series ot depressions 17 having' horizontally arranged port-ions 18. Each of said members 1S is provided with a circular opening 19. In each of the openings 19 is a t'an 20 supported on the lower end. of a vertically arranged shaft 21 rotatively mounted in a vertical sleeve 22 supported in. the top member 13. The upper end ot"` the shaft 21 is provided with an electric motor 23, each of said motors being independently operated by suitable mechanism not illustrated, so that the said motors may he operatedat various speeds if so desired.

Supported longitudinally in the bottom oit the drier .is a track 24 designed to support ware bearing1 cars 25. The side edges of each of the said cars are provided with a downwardly extending1 flange 26 designed to enter the usual sand seal 27. The upper i face of the car 25 is provided with a series of transversely arranged passages 28 open at their tops and designed to communicate with vertical passages 29 in the ware 30 stacked on said fear. The lower edge of the partitions 14 terminate at a point substan- `tially in line with the upper edges of the passages 28, so that the drying` medium may be moved vertically through the passages 29 and horizontally throup: the passages 28 to the compartment-s 31 l'ormed between the `partitions 14 and 15, and thence upwardly through the openings 19. A sand seal 32 is provided between the lower ends of thepartitions 14 and the side edges of the stack of ware, so that all of the air beingr circulated will have to travel through the passages 29.

The compartments 31 are provided with heating' coils which extend horizontally and longitudinally through the drier. Each A fan 39 is supported in the upper end of the end' member 12and provides means for Y forcing the drying medium into the drier.

An outlet pipe t0-is provided at the opposite end through which the moisture-laden medium will be discharged.

It'will be seen, by referring to Figure 3,-

' thatl each of the lcompartments 31 is provided with the fan'20'in its upper end for circulating .the drying medium through said compartments. By providing the compartments of various lengths, it will'be seen that themedium in one compartment may be cir- 'so vAfter a large part of the shrinkage has .'.takenv place, thevelocity of the medium may time.V

-culated at a higher velocity than the medium in another compartment, with the speed of both of the fans is substantially the same.

I have found by experience that the length of each ofthe compartments 31 may be predetermined, so that the velocity of the medium in the variouszones may be approximately maintained when the fans are operating at substantially theV same speeds. In practice, however, it is necessary to vary the speed ofthe fans somewhat in order to meet p the working conditions of the ware as it is being passed through the drier. In operation, the ware is advanced through the drler from the left hand end to the right, as shown in Figure 3, while thel drying medium .is introduced through the fan 39 at the opposite end of the drier. The fans '20 in the left handend will then cause the medium to 'be drawn downwardly through the passages 29 and upwardly through the said openings 19.` The transverse velocityof the medium is greater than the vadvance of the same through the drier, so that the medium is circulated a number of times through the iirst set of compartments in-a recirculating path and Vthen advanced to the second set of compartments, atA which time the transverse movement of the medium is considerably decreased, due to the fact that the second compartment is longer than the first.' This cycle of operation continues throughout the length ofthe drier, the medium passing between the heating coils 33 in each of its cycles, which causes the 'said medium to be reheated each It yis desirable to provide a comparatively low Vvelocity-of the medium at the time the ware enters the drier, inasmuch as the Vshrinkage of the ware is comparatively high as the first part ofthe moisture is removed.

be increased without warpingY or cracking the ware.v vThe heated gases are caused to enter through the pipe 36, and for that reason the pipes passing through the shorter compartments are of higher temperature than those passing through the longer compartments, and the medium at the delivery end of the drier will be maintained at a high temperature, and at the same time operate at a higher velocity.

To further assist in causing the drying medium to circulate vertically through the ware, I have supported between the adjoining ends of two adjacent cars a strip of paper 38, or similar material, of cheap construction, and of such size as to lit the opening through which the ear enters the drier, said paper having its side edges engaging the wall members 14. These papers prevent any longitudinal movement of the medium through the ware from one end to the other.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a drier of comparatively simple construction, in which the circulation of the medium may be very accurately controlled throughout the various drying Zones, and provided with means whereby the velocity of the medium may be increased or decreased in a given Zone, and the rate of the drying of the ware in that particular zone controlled proportionately, so that the ware may be advanced through the drier in a minimum length of time without warping or cracking the ware.

I'claim as my invention:

1. A drier comprising side walls, end walls and a top to form a drier chamber, partitions arranged adjacent to the inner face of said side walls to form vertically arranged compartment-s, each of said compartments being provided with an inlet 'opening at its lower end and an outlet opening at its upper end, heating coils extending longitudinally through each set of compartments, means for conveying ware through said drier between the said compartments, said conveying means being provided with transversely arranged passages designed to communicate with vertically arranged passages in the ware stacked thereon, a fan in each of the openings in the upper end of said compartments, said fans being independently operated, means for introducing a drying medium in one end of said drying chamber, and said chamber being provided with an outlet opening in its opposite end.

2. A drier comprising side walls, end walls, and a top to form a drier chamber, partitions arranged parallel with the inner faces of said side walls to form vertically arranged compartments, each of said conipartments being provided with an inlet opening at its lower end and an outlet opening at its upper end, heating coils extending longitudinally through each set of compartments, means for conveying ware through said drier between said compartlll) ments, said means comprising a series of continuously moving and adjacent cars, each of said cars having its upper surface provided with horizontally arranged passages designed to communicate With vertically ar- .ranged passages formed in Ware stacked thereon to be dried,y the ends of the horizontally arranged passages communicating with the inlet openings of said compartments, sealing means supported above and below the outlet openings ofsaid compartments and the ends ol said horizontal passages, a fan in each or the openings in the upper ends of said compartments, said fans being independentlly operated, and means for introducing a drying medium in one end of said drying chamber under slight pressure, said chamber having an outlet opening at its opposite end for said drying medium.

3. A drier comprising side Walls, end Walls, and a top to form a drier chamber, partitions arranged parallel with the inner faces oi? said side Walls to form vertically arranged compartments, each of said compartments being provided with an inlet opening at its lower end and an outlet opening at its upper end, heating coils extending longitudinally through each set of compartments, means for conveying Ware through said drier between said compartments, said means comprising a series of continuously moving and adjacent cars, each of said cars having its upper surface provided vvith horizontally arranged passages designed to communicate with vertically ar ranged passages formed in` ware stacked thereon to be dried, the ends of the horizon tally arranged passages communicating With the inlet openings of said compartments, sealing means supported above and beloiv the outlet openings of said compartments and the ends of said horizontal passages, a fan in each or the openings in the upper ends of said compartments, said fans being independently operated, means for introducing a drying medium in one end of said drying chamber under slight pressure, said chamber having an outlet opening at its opposite end for said drying medium, and a sheet of light and inexpensive material fixed to and supported between the adjoining ends of two adjacent cars and the Ware stacked thereon for sealing the ends of the stacks of Ware against longitudinal movement of the drying medium through the Ware.

HALVER R. STRAIGHT. 

